I barged into the Cross brothers’ shared study without knocking, my heart pounding with anger and frustration. They were all there—Grayson, leaning against the wall with his usual stoic expression; Aiden, sprawled in an armchair like he didn’t have a care in the world; and Asher, sitting at the desk, quietly flipping through a book.
The second I stepped in, they all looked up.
“Lila,” Grayson said, his voice low and edged with warning. “What are you doing here?”
I slammed the door behind me, my hands trembling. “Enough. I’m done playing your games. I want answers, and I want them now.”
Aiden smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Fiery today, aren’t we? What’s this about?”
“You know damn well what it’s about!” I snapped, stepping further into the room. “Evelyn. The notes. The stalker. All of it. I want to know what’s going on, and I want to know now.”
Grayson’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything. Asher stood slowly, his hands raised like he was trying to calm a wild animal. “Lila, let’s talk about this—”
“No,” I interrupted, pointing a finger at him. “No more brushing me off. I know you’re hiding something. All of you. And I’m sick of it.”
Aiden’s smirk faded, replaced with something sharper, more dangerous. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice losing its playful edge.
“Don’t I?” I shot back. “Someone is stalking me, leaving me notes, threatening me. Someone slashed my tires, vandalized my locker, and now they’re sending me photos of Evelyn with warnings that I’ll end up like her. And you’re telling me you have no idea what’s going on? Bullshit.”
Grayson pushed off the wall, his cold gaze fixed on me. “This isn’t a game, Lila. You need to let it go.”
“Let it go?” I laughed bitterly. “That’s all you ever say. Let it go, stop digging, stay away. But I’m not going to stop, Grayson. Not until I get the truth.”
Aiden stood abruptly, his chair screeching against the floor. “You don’t want the truth, Lila,” he said, his voice rising. “Because if you knew, you’d run. And maybe that’s what you should do.”
“Then tell me!” I yelled. “Tell me the truth and let me decide for myself!”
The tension in the room was suffocating. Aiden’s fists were clenched, his eyes blazing, and for a moment, I thought he might actually say something. But instead, he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
The sound echoed through the room, leaving an uncomfortable silence in its wake.
Asher stepped forward, his expression pained. “Lila, I—”
“Don’t,” I said, cutting him off. “Don’t try to smooth this over, Asher. I know you’re hiding something, and I’m not going to let this go. Not this time.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m trying to protect you, Lila. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
“Then tell me the truth,” I pleaded, my voice trembling.
But Asher just shook his head and muttered, “I can’t,” before walking out of the room, leaving me alone with Grayson.
I turned to him, my frustration boiling over. “What about you? Are you going to say anything, or are you just going to stand there and glare at me?”
Grayson stepped closer, his piercing gaze locking onto mine. “You don’t know what you’re asking for, Lila,” he said quietly, but there was an intensity in his voice that made my chest tighten.
“Stop treating me like I’m fragile,” I snapped. “I can handle the truth, Grayson. I’m not some helpless girl who needs protecting.”
He took another step closer, so close that I could feel the heat radiating off him. “You think you’re strong enough for this?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. You don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
“Then tell me!” I whispered back, my voice breaking. “Please.”
For a moment, his mask slipped. His jaw tightened, and I saw something raw and vulnerable flash in his eyes. But just as quickly, it was gone.
“You need to stay away from us,” he said, his voice cold again. “From all of us. You’re only making things worse.”
I stared at him, my chest heaving with anger and heartbreak. “Why do you care, Grayson? Why do you even care what happens to me?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned and walked out, leaving me standing there, shaking with a mix of rage and despair.
That night, I sat in my room, staring out the window. The events of the day played over and over in my head, each conversation more frustrating than the last. They were all lying to me, I was sure of it. But why?
The faint glow of the security cameras outside my house caught my attention. My dad had installed them after the hospital incident, trying to make me feel safer. But as I watched, I saw something move—a flash of metal.
I frowned, leaning closer to the window. And then it happened. One by one, the cameras went dark, the feed cutting off as someone slashed through the wires.
My breath hitched as I scanned the yard, my heart racing. A shadowy figure moved just beyond the trees, their outline barely visible in the dim light.
I stumbled back from the window, my hands trembling. Whoever was out there, they weren’t just watching anymore. They were making their move.